The provincial president of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS) organization is excited that the Sask. Party would — if re-elected — boost funding by 1,500 per cent to help veterans’ clubs renovate their buildings.
Rick Taylor thought it was great that the Sask. Party plans to increase the Saskatchewan Veteran Service Club Grant to $1.5 million annually from $100,000 annually. Introduced in 2018-19, the grant supports veterans’ services clubs by providing $5,000 for building improvement projects, upgrades, renovations or repairs to support community access to programming, meetings and events.
During its first year, the program provided grants to 21 Royal Canadian Legion branches, three ANAVETS locations and one to the Lynx Wing. In Saskatchewan, there are four ANAVETS locations, 164 Royal Canadian Legion branches, and one Lynx Wing in total.
Starting in the 2021-22 budget, the program will expand to allow for grants for annual operational supports.
Sask. Party leader Scott Moe announced the funding initiatives on Oct. 15 outside the ANAVETS club on High Street West while joined by Sask. Party candidates Tim McLeod (Moose Jaw North) and Greg Lawrence (Moose Jaw Wakamow) and members from Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 59 and the ANAVETS club.
Moe also announced the restart of the Community Rink Affordability Grant — eliminated a few years ago due to low resource revenues — which provides communities with grants of $2,500 annually per ice surface. About 635 community-owned ice surfaces in 373 communities can apply for the funding, which would cost $1.7 million annually.
“Quite happy to see the increase. Our group here (in Moose Jaw) has been successful twice,” said Taylor, “and with that fact, we didn’t think next year we would have a chance at getting another grant, but maybe this time next year we will. Who knows?”
The ANAVETS has a relatively new building, but other accessories such as electronics, sales systems, sound systems and food-processing appliances could use upgrades, he continued. Other improvements could include better access for older veterans and security upgrades.
Moose Jaw’s legion branch applied for funding for a conference but was unsuccessful, Taylor added. It’s now difficult for the legion to apply since it no longer owns its building.
Reasons for increases
The Sask. Party increased the grant since there has been big interest in the program, the program is necessary, and because it lets society thank veterans for their efforts, Moe explained.
“The freedom that we have — at no time is this more evident than right now when we’re in an election campaign,” he continued, “and on Oct. 26, we’re going to have an opportunity to cast our vote in this provincial election. We wouldn’t have that opportunity and that freedom to have this great democracy in Saskatchewan and Canada without our veterans.”
This enhanced grant will help many clubs throughout Saskatchewan, Taylor said. During the 2018-19 year, more than 60 applications were submitted, but only 25 were filled. For 2019-20 there were 40 applications received, but only 25 could be filled.
While helpful, the $5,000 doesn’t go very far to cover big projects such as roofs and flooring, he continued. So, Taylor hoped that the expanded program allowed for distributing higher-value grants or even two grants per applicant.
NDP support in Moose Jaw
The media asked Moe whether he was concerned that Moose Jaw Wakamow could slip to the NDP. He replied that both Sask. Party MLAs have delivered for the community over the years, such as a new hospital, a forthcoming school, and enhanced child-care services.
Moe was also confident that the community would support candidates Greg Lawrence and Tim McLeod in the election, while the two candidates would be good community messengers in the legislature.
